


Dangerous Women

by rainpuddle13



Category: Poldark (TV 2015)
Genre: Character Study, Drama, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 11:19:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8011621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainpuddle13/pseuds/rainpuddle13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ross and Demelza Poldark make quite the first impression upon Caroline Penvenen when she arrives in Cornwall for the election.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dangerous Women

“A dangerous woman?” Caroline inquired as she handed Horace over to a footman in the foyer so she could remove her hat and gloves. “What makes you say that, Unwin? Do you know her?”

“Uh-h-h,” he stuttered under the direct line of questioning as he so often did. It really rather annoying, but he had his uses. “I know of her husband.”

She handed the hat off to a maid waiting in the wings to take it and took custody of her darling again, giving him a warm smile and an ear scratch for being a good boy. “Is he a dangerous man then, if she’s a dangerous woman?”

“Yes,” he answered, handing off his own hat and giving her uncle an uncomfortable glance. “Ross Poldark has quite the reputation.”

“He didn’t look all that dangerous to me.” She continued deeper into her uncle’s home until she’d reached the summer parlour, leaving the men to follow in her wake.

“He’s being tried this very week on charges of wrecking, inciting a riot, assault of a customs official, and murder,” Unwin said with a glint in his eye.

“All of that committed by a single man?” she inquired pithily. “He has been busy then.”

Unwin narrowed his eyes at her. “They’re very serious charges, Caroline.”

Caroline looked to her uncle who was a much better judge of character. “Uncle? What say you on this matter?”

“Oh,” her uncle said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “I knew his father well enough when he was alive. Personable fellow. Had an eye for the ladies though.”

“And the son? How well do you know him?” she prompted her uncle when it looked like he might not tell her what she was growing desperate to hear. Unwin’s complete dismissal earlier had piqued her interest in the man. 

From what she could tell after seeing Ross Poldark only briefly in the street and hearing what Unwin had to say, he was a handsome man with an important family name in the district and had managed to stoke the ire of a particular sort of a gentleman. It made little sense that he would be brought up on such scurrilous charges unless there was more to the story than met the eye.

“Ross has been a good neighbor since his return from the war in America. His father bought him a commission after a bit of bother when he younger that could’ve seen him at the end of a rope had things gone badly.” Ray took the brandy offered to him on a silver platter by the footman. 

She smiled, thinking that getting to know this Poldark and his wife just might liven up an otherwise dreadfully dull visit to the country. 

“Don’t forget, Ray,” Unwin chimed in, taking his own glass and settling back in the chair nearest to where Caroline had alighted, “there was that nasty bit of business that ended with him having to marry his kitchen maid.”

“His kitchen maid?” she asked, now very curious about the pretty woman in green who had been speaking to her uncle in the drive when they’d arrived.

“Yes, yes,” her would-be intended stated with glee. “All quite scandalous. He took her out into polite society a few months back and she made a spectacle of herself, dancing with every gentleman there except her own husband. George said she made promises as well.”

“Did she make a promise to you?” Caroline asked pointedly, and enjoyed watching Unwin squirm. He hated when she put him on the spot.

“No, of course not!” He immediately reddened, coughed and reached up to loosen his stock just a touch. “That woman doesn’t begin to hold a candle to you, my dearest.”

Caroline favored him with a smile, biting back the most cutting words that had sprung to mind. There was nothing worse than having to suffer a fool, but this particular one served a greater purpose. He kept other potential suitors at bay while she bided her time until she came into her own. “I should say not,” she sniffed. “Mistress Poldark looked pleasant enough. I might call on her.”

It was her uncle’s turn to cough, nearly choking on the sip of his brandy. “Do you think that’s wise, niece?”

“Unwin, can you be a darling and see Horace out?” she asked, motioning for the nearest footman to come take the dog from her lap. “You do know I don’t trust him with just anyone.”

He grimaced, and she gave him a sweet smile when he rose from his seat to do her bidding. “Yes, of course.”

“Thank you.” She lowered her head slightly and batted her lashes, absolutely galled at having to play the coquette. 

“You really shouldn’t do that, my dear,” her uncle chided once Unwin was out of earshot. “He might cotton on to you.”

“Hardly,” she sniffed. Unwin was too thick to notice beyond the end of his nose. “He needs me.”

“Be that as it may, it’ll do you no good to associate yourself with the Nampara Poldarks at the moment, Caroline. The wrong associations can ruin your reputation.”

“I’ll take that under advisement, Uncle,” Caroline said, firmly believing that reputations could be done without if one was just brave enough. “What did she want with you then?”

“Nothing as far as I could tell,” he answered thoughtfully. “She became ill whilst out walking and this was the nearest house. I offered her refreshment. She was polite.”

“For a kitchen maid?”

“For a kitchen maid.” Ray motioned for another brandy. “They’ve had a run of bad luck recently.”

Caroline startled, wondering how much misfortune could befall a single man and his wife. “Beyond the charges?”

“Poldark’s most recent business venture failed, bankrupting a good number of his investors."

“Were you an investor, Uncle?"

"I was, but thankfully not as heavily involved as others. It was a good scheme, but sure to fail. Thankfully I could weather the blow."

"That must've laid Mr Poldark very low." 

“It did, but not as low as losing their only child to the putrid throat just last month," Ray said softly.

“Then I must go.” She didn’t know why she was feeling so compelled to reach out to a woman she did not know, but in the very brief encounter with Mistress Poldark Caroline had sensed a kindred spirit.

“There’ll be no time to call on her,” her uncle said with a sigh. “The trial of Poldark is the day after tomorrow in Bodmin.”

“So soon?” She sat up a bit straighter, having not realized it was such a near thing. 

“Yes, yes,” he spoke uncomfortably, shaking his head, “no doubt at the Warleggans’ behast.” 

“What do they have to do with it?” she asked, frowning. George was funding Unwin’s political aspirations, not doubt for his own benefit. She did not like how he assessed everything his cold calculating eyes. He reminded her of a snake.

“Everything,” Unwin answered, rejoining them, very nearly dropping a squirming Horace in her lap. “It was George’s ship and goods that Poldark wrecked on the beach near his home.”

“Trumped up charges if you ask me,” her uncle grumbled. “Everyone knows anything to wash up on the beach is finders keepers.”

She almost afraid to ask, having inking where the question would lead. “And the murder charge?” 

“George’s cousin Matthew Sanson.”

“Oh.” Caroline’s heart sank. That was far worse than she’d feared.

“Not surprising really,” he continued, making a show of flipping the long tails of his blue coat out of the way to take a seat on the bench by the window next to her. “George said that Poldark had caused quite the scene after Matthew had nearly beggared him at the card table.”

Ray huffed. “Only because it was proven Sanson was palming cards.”

“Makes no difference. Poldark had it out for Matthew after the embarrassment.”

“Do you think he did it then?” She really couldn’t help herself from asking.

“George tells me they have witnesses willing to testify that he did,” Unwin all but crowed. 

Caroline glanced at her uncle who was muttering under his breath, saying, “I think I want to see what these witnesses have to say for myself.”

Unwin frowned, making him look like a constipated toad. “A courtroom is no place for a lady, especially when the case is as salacious as this one promises to be.”

“I will be going,” Caroline said crossly.

“As your intended--” he started.

“Would-be intended,” she reminded him, rising from her seat to cast a glare of great displeasure down upon him. The thought of spending a lifetime with his sniveling attempts at domination was more than she was willing to bear.

“I forbid--”

“I would not finish that sentence if I were you, Unwin,” Caroline said, voice dripping with poisoned honey. “I will be attending the trial of Ross Poldark whether you like it or not.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to mmmuse and xxsparksxx for pestering me into posting this little character study.


End file.
